The November 6, 2025 episode of Wheel of Fortune delivered a lively mix of big solves, costly stumbles, and a commanding win from Courtney Smith, the kindergarten teacher from Egg Harbor Township who decorates her classroom like Friends. She faced off against karaoke enthusiast Desmond Slowe of Boise and basketball mom Tasha Gray of Birmingham. Desmond opened the show strong by solving the $1,000 Toss-Up: SHOUT, SHOUT, LET IT ALL OUT, the classic Tears for Fears lyric, and followed that with HOMING PIGEON in the $2,000 Toss-Up, giving him an early edge before the main rounds began.
Round 1 shifted the momentum when Courtney solved CAKE-EATING CONTEST for $1,550 after navigating a puzzle filled with triple-letter potential. The Eggland’s Best Mystery Round gave Tasha her first big moment of the night when she pieced together BEER ON TAP DANCERS, a playful Before & After creation worth $1,250. Bankrupts hit both opponents at the wrong times, allowing her to climb back into contention. Even so, the running totals remained tight enough to keep the tension high heading into the Prize Puzzle.
The What the Fun round brought the evening’s biggest swing, as Tasha completed most of CRUISING ON A CATAMARAN but misread the second word, allowing Courtney to swoop in and steal the solve for $11,150 and a luxury trip to Zoetry Curacao. That single moment shifted the entire game, putting Courtney firmly in the lead while Desmond and Tasha struggled to recover from repeated bankrupts and missed guesses. Courtney’s confidence only grew as the competition moved toward the home stretch.
The Triple Toss-Ups focused on What Are You Doing? and handed out three rapid-fire solves: Desmond grabbed STRETCHING MY MUSCLES, while Courtney countered with BUILDING MUSCLES and SLURPING MUSSELS. In the Speed-Up Round, she wrapped up the match cleanly by solving GOOGLED MYSELF, adding another $4,500 to her already strong total. By the time the main game ended, Courtney had accumulated $30,670 in cash and her Curacao vacation, far ahead of Desmond’s $3,000 and Tasha’s $1,250.
Courtney advanced to the Bonus Round under the category Phrase, facing the puzzle _ _ / THE _ _ _ _. Despite strong assistance from RSTLNE and her chosen letters, the final answer — BY THE BOOK — slipped away, leaving the $75,000 prize on the table. Even without the bonus win, Courtney closed the night as a decisive champion with $30,670 in winnings and a memorable performance that kept the episode entertaining from start to finish.